


Stranger Tides

by welshyak



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pirates, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Angst, Fluff, I Will Go Down With This Ship, Kidnapping, LITERALLY, M/M, Page!Dustin, Pirate!Billy, Pirate!Max, Prince!Steve, Smut, held for ransom
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-09
Updated: 2018-01-17
Packaged: 2019-02-12 18:30:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12965751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/welshyak/pseuds/welshyak
Summary: “Steve! Prince Steve!”Steve awoke with a start. “Dustin? What’s wrong? What’s happening?”“We’re under attack, come on, we gotta go! Grab your sabre!”Steve let himself be pulled out of bed, grabbing his sheathed sword from his bedside.“Is it pirates?” Steve yelled after Dustin, following the boy down the narrow and rickety swaying hallways, grabbing at the walls with his free hand. He could hear shots coming from above and muffled sounds of yelling, the pounding of running feet.Steve’s heart was pumping in his chest and he could hear its fast beat in his ears.“No, it’s the pirate. It’s Blackguard.”...Pirates AU - Billy is a pirate, and Steve is a prince who trades his wellbeing for the safety of his crew. Will Steve make it out of this mess alive?Thanks to billyandsteve.tumblr.com for the inspiration!





	1. Precious Cargo

The sea was calm, gently cradling the boat in its embrace. Cool fog caressed the deck, setting down lightly before rolling back off into the air. In the crow’s nest, the watchman sighed, taking in the surrounding waters. There was no way he would be able to tell if there was a boat coming in the thick fog. Besides, who would dare attack a royal vessel? He looked up at the moon that hung yellow and heavy in the sky, and daydreamed about his warm bed and his wife at home.

 

…

 

“Fucking fog,” Billy swore under his breath. On one hand, the almost impenetrable fog worked to conceal their ship from the royal bergantina, but on the other, it made it damn near impossible to tell how far they were from the ship without actually bumping into it.

 

Mike steered the Compeer as close as he could to the bergantina, until Billy could actually reach out and touch the other ship’s balustrade surrounding the deck.

 

“Go go go,” whispered Billy to his crew, who hoisted planks over the balustrades to the other ship and clambered on without a sound. Billy was the last to leave the ship, leaving Mike and Will to keep guard lest an enemy tried anything funny.

 

He handled his blade with care and gripped the hilt tight in his hand, heart pumping with excitement in his chest.

 

_Revenge is a dish best served cold, and Billy was famished._

 

…

 

“Steve! Prince Steve!”

 

Steve awoke with a start. “Dustin?” He slurred, and saw the look of abject terror plain on the boy’s face illuminated by the warm light from the torch in his trembling hand. Steve sat up in his bed and shoving off the covers, the feeling of dread growing stronger deep in his gut making him more anxious by the minute. “What’s wrong? What’s happening?”

 

“We’re under attack, come on, we gotta go! Grab your sabre!”

 

Steve let himself be pulled out of bed, still dressed in his nightclothes, grabbing his sheathed sword from his bedside.

 

“Is it pirates?” Steve yelled after Dustin, following the boy down the narrow and rickety swaying hallways, grabbing at the walls with his free hand. He could hear shots coming from above and muffled sounds of yelling, the pounding of running feet.

 

_Whatever it was, it was bad._

 

Steve’s heart was pumping in his chest and he could hear its fast beat in his ears.

 

“No, it’s _the_ pirate. It’s Blackguard.”

 

“Shit.” Steve whispered under his breath. Blackguard was notorious for his fighting prowess, but having the balls to attack a royal vessel? Why would he do that?

 

Unless he already knew that the prince was onboard.

 

 _Fuck_.

 

“How could he know that I’m on board?!” Steve yelled.

 

Dustin led them down into the belly of the bergantina, feet padding down the steps, curly hair bouncing around his face.

 

“Of course he knows where the greatest bargaining chip in the world is at any given moment! Steve,” Dustin stopped and turned to look at him, “Please do not tell me that you’re that dumb.” He waved his hands to put emphasis on his words. “Now come on, he can’t find you, or we’re all dead!”

 

Steve stopped on the very last step. He couldn’t do it. He wouldn’t let anybody die for him on this ship, royalty be damned. Blackguard wanted him? Blackguard would get him. Steve whipped around and headed back up the stairs, taking two at a time.

 

It took Dustin a moment to figure out what he was doing. “Wha- Steve! Steve! Are you kidding- son of a _bitch_!”

 

Steve headed straight for the stairs leading up to the deck, gripping his sabre tight in his hand. He suddenly remembered he was still in his bedclothes, and that his feet were bare, but in that moment, Steve could only think about the men who were fighting and dying.

 

There was chaos on the main deck: smoke, fire, the smell of burning flesh, gunpowder, and small skirmishes visible only in the light from the torches lit sporadically along the deck. The smell made Steve want to throw up, but he swallowed back his fear and took a deep breath.

 

“Blackguard!” Steve bellowed, long and loud. He broke into a cough from the smoke, but didn’t miss the sharp whistle that shot through the night air.

 

Everything stood stock still for a moment, like time had stopped. The raiders were backing off, and the bergantina’s crew were standing confused, swords still up and ready in case anybody tried anything.

 

“Well well well,” a voice called from across the ship. Steve could just make out a moonlit figure walking towards him, and the sea of people on the small deck parted to let him through. “What do we have here? Is this the precious cargo?”

 

The man was lit by the small fires and torches around the ship, his face flickering in and out of view. Blackguard’s eyes were almost black in the low light, his figure lithe and toned from what Steve had supposed was years at sea. His blonde, curly hair was shoulder-length and shaggy, breeches almost obscenely tight across his legs, his tunic open and loose. His grip on his cutlass was lax in his right hand, resting by his side for the moment. Steve could see flashes of red on the blade when it hit the light just so.

He grinned voraciously at Steve and suddenly Steve didn’t feel so brave. Blackguard was a predator, ready to pounce.

 

Blackguard stalked towards Steve and circled around him. “Silk tunic, silk breeches,” he leaned in close to Steve’s neck and sniffed. “You smell clean, you look clean, you wear expensive clothes, unlike the rest of the poor fuckers on this ship. And since this lovely vessel is part of the royal navy, I’d take it that you’re someone important. Is that right?”

 

One of Blackguard’s crew spoke up before Steve could reply. “I bet we could get more holding him for ransom than ransacking the ship! Think of the crew we could buy with that kind of money!”

 

“Shut up, Max! It’s not your call to make.” Blackguard kept his eyes on Steve as he talked.

 

“Max is right, though.” Steve blurted out, “A-Allow me to introduce myself, I’m Steven Harrington, heir to the throne of the Northeasternlands.” Steve held his head up high, and squared his shoulders. Though he was nervous in the gaze of the most infamous pirate in the realm, Steve wanted to show him he wasn’t scared. Which he wasn’t. Probably.

 

Blackguard just laughed, and Steve noticed how his nose crinkled. Billy bowed deep and low, mocking the Prince. “If I had known we were to be in the presence of _Prince Steve_ ,” Billy growled, “I would have put on my best pair of clothes.”

 

Steve spluttered. “Wait, you didn’t know I was on board? Then why did you attack us?”

 

“Simple, _princess_. Revenge.”

 

He winced at the insult. Steve didn’t need details -- now wasn’t the time to learn why Blackguard wanted revenge on the Northeasternlands. It could wait for another time, if there came any. Steve continued on with his mission. “Ok, well, use me to exact your revenge instead of killing a whole bunch of innocent people. In my opinion, it’s a win-win.”

 

Billy licked his lips, sweeping his eyes across Steve’s disheveled form. “Ok, so you’re telling me that you’re willingly going to go with the most disreputable pirate this side of the realm, in exchange for sparing your crew?”

 

“Don’t go selling yourself short.” Steve snorted, and paused. “Yes. As long as you leave my crew alone, I’ll go with you so you can hold me for ransom. Deal?”

 

“Yeah, okay. Let’s go.”

 

“Wait! Steve!” Dustin came running up behind him and placed himself between Steve and Billy. “You can’t do this! Don’t go! You have,” Dustin threw a look over his shoulder to Blackguard, who was watching with interest, “ _Duties_ to attend to.” His voice lowered to a whisper.

 

Steve cringed and placed his hands on his page’s shoulders. “In the immediate situation, I think _not dying_ is a little more important. Besides, I can attend to my… _duties_ , some other time.”

 

“Who’s this little fucker, then?” Asked Blackguard.

 

“Mind your own business. This is between me and Prince Steve.”

 

Billy put his hands up, and Dustin turned back to Steve.

 

“Please don’t go,”

 

“I have to, I’m going.” Steve whispered through gritted teeth. He hadn’t expected Dustin to put up this much of a fight.

 

Dustin face lit up suddenly, and Steve knew that the boy had an idea, and it wasn’t going to be a good one.

 

“Blackguard!” Dustin addressed the pirate, and Steve pinched the bridge of his nose. Why did his page have to act so valiantly? It made Dustin act like a fool, and Steve was sure someday it might get the boy killed. “I’m Prince Steve’s page, and that means wherever he goes, I go too. So don’t let me violate my royal duties. I’m coming with.”

 

“Fine. More crew, the better.” Billy said, pissed off look on his face. He whistled to his crew again and they withdrew to the other larger boat.

 

“Come on, pretty boy. Your new home awaits you.” Billy gestured towards the ship. “And I’ll be taking that.” Billy grabbed Steve’s sabre out of his grip, and threw it onto the deck of the bergantina. “You won’t be needing it anymore.”

 

Steve glared at Billy, who smirked, unruffled by the daggers in Steve’s eyes. But Steve stepped out onto the planks that bridged the two ships, and stepped foot onto the smooth deck of the Compeer.

 

“Max will show you to your new quarters.” Billy said from somewhere behind him. A teenaged girl with fiery red hair jumped into Steve’s view and took him by the arm, her grip strong and firm, but not painful. “You know where to take him.” Max nodded once.

 

He saw Billy turn to Dustin, who was wearing a fierce mask, but Steve could tell that the boy was shaking in his boots.

 

“Don’t hurt him, Blackguard!”

 

Billy looked at him and waved sarcastically. “Don’t worry, princess, your page will be just _fine_.”

 

“Come _on_.” Max growled, steering Steve towards the flight of stairs leading into the belly of the ship. She walked him past door after door, deeper and deeper into the guts of the Compeer. Finally, she stopped in front of a nondescript door, and pulled out a ring of keys with her spare hand, expertly unlocked the door, and shoved Steve through the doorway.

 

She didn’t say anything to him, just stared at him for a second with her mouth open before she thought better of it, and slammed the door shut.

 

Steve could hear the rattle of the keys and the subtle click of the lock closing and the sound of her feet walking away, fading into the background.

 

“What the _fuck_ ,” he whispered to himself, “Have I gotten myself into?”

 

He groaned, and sat against the back wall of the tiny room, put his head in his hands, and drew up his knees until they rested against his chin.

 

_What indeed._


	2. Sunstroke

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve had long since abandoned his silk tunic in an effort to get cool, but with no draft, it was to no avail. Every part of him felt heavier: there was a weight on his chest that pressed down every time he took a breath, his heart was in a vice and his pulse beat painfully behind his skin. If this was Billy Blackguard’s idea of torture, Steve would have to agree that it was torture, he would rather be dead than in this room anymore.
> 
> What choice did he have? If this what Blackguard wanted him to suffer through, then Steve supposed he didn’t have a choice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning for heat stroke and vomit (not the act of, but mention)  
> Dear readers, tread carefully!

Sunstroke

 

Steve spent the rest of the night wallowing in his own misery, tucked away into the far corner of the tiny room -- no longer than he was tall -- with his knees pushed up under his chin. It was a position that was familiar to him; one that he usually saved for when he was panicking over the shadows that played in the moonlight beaming through his bedroom window.

Thoughts washed over him like the midnight waves against the hull of the Compeer: _What was going to happen to him? Would Blackguard be as savage as the myths made him out to be? To what degree would Blackguard hurt him?_

Not enough to leave a mark, Steve reasoned. Well, not a _lasting_ mark. They could hurt him, but the prince figured he was worth more alive than dead. He _hoped_ he was. Knowing his parents, it could go either way. But the pirate didn’t need to know that.

A question came to his head unbidden, unwanted and ever so cruel: _How much would his ransom actually be worth?_ His kingdom was rich with its flourishing economy, maybe the people would pile something together that would satisfy Billy Blackguard. Of course, he was the only heir to a large kingdom, surely that meant something to his parents?

They were always away touring the northeasternlands, they barely saw him, never mind them knowing anything about him. Steve knew that they inherently cared more about their reign more than him; would his connection to the throne make him worth saving? Would he even want to be saved just because of his title?

No answers were apparent to him in the confines of the small room, just a metal bed frame, a small porthole not nearly large enough for Steve to escape through, a metal bucket, and his own thoughts for company.

Steve weaved his hand through his hair and breathed in the stale sea air that permeated the room. He leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes in the hopes that sleep would claim him before his own treacherous thoughts would.

 

…

 

Outside of the room that held Prince Steve, the Compeer was readying for the morning light.

The sun snuck up on the stars in the sky, brightening the sky inch by inch, until the warmth of the sun reached first the crowsnest, then the deck, then finally the hull of the Compeer.

Daybreak found the ship preparing for another day at sea, as if that day was no different from the last, nor the day before that.

Dustin had been put to work as a ship hand, moving goods and keeping the main deck clean. He thought it probably made better work than keeping below deck, especially with what felt like was going to be a scorcher of a day.

Out of all the crew, Dustin only had Max as a point of communication. The rest of the crew was running about, obviously knowing what to do on the ship.

After Steve had disappeared below deck being pushed by Max, Billy had shoved a mop and bucket with a long rope attached to it into Dustin’s hands, and had disappeared.

It was clear what he was supposed to do -- Dustin was not unfamiliar with hard work. Being a prince’s page required a lot more work than one might think, and the boy was grateful for his own work ethic.

If the the most infamous pirate ever wanted Dustin to clean, clean he would. And he would be as annoyingly cheerful as he could possibly be. If there was anything Dustin could do to vex the pirate while not earning himself a walk on the plank, Dustin would do it. He’d be _damned_ if he let Billy Blackguard get the best of him and Steve.

So, after a miserable night spent on deck, Dustin once again threw the bucket over the side, waited for it to fill up with water, pulled it back up, and started mopping.

“You’re still mopping?”

The voice startled the boy, and he turned to see Billy not too far behind him with a quizzical look in his eyes. Dustin was too surprised to reply.

“You didn't sleep, did you?”

The boy paused, and nodded his head. It was true, Dustin hadn't slept, not even a little. He was too worried about the whole situation to sleep -- especially when he was being held captive with his prince on an enemy’s ship. He needed to keep one eye open, for his sake and for Steve’s.

“Go. Fuck off.” Billy ordered.

Dustin dropped the bucket and mop against the wall that led to the poopdeck, and scampered down into the hull of the ship without knowing where he was going.

So much for his plan to annoy the pirate. 

He smelled the beginnings of a breakfast being made coming from the galley.

 

It could wait until after breakfast.

 

…

  


Steve watched on in boredom as a sliver of sunlight coming from the porthole inched its way along the wooden beams in his tiny prison.

With the progression of the day, the room grew hotter and hotter. By midday, when the sunlight had reached the floor just underneath the porthole and had disappeared, the room was stifling.

Steve had long since abandoned his silk tunic in an effort to cool down, but with no draft, it was to no avail. Every part of him felt heavier: there was a weight on his chest that pressed down every time he took a breath, his heart was in a vice and his pulse beat painfully behind his skin. If this was Billy Blackguard’s idea of torture, Steve would have to agree that it _was_ torture, he would rather be dead than in this room anymore.

What choice did he have? If this what Blackguard wanted him to suffer through, then Steve supposed he didn’t have much of a say in the matter.

He groaned, which only served to intensify his pounding headache, and wiped the feverish sweat from his brow.

Steve spread out on the floor like a starfish against a rock in an effort to dissipate the heat.

The calm waves that lapped against the side of the brig tormented him for their cool depths just a little too far out of his reach.

“I’ll go crazy, I’m sure of it.” Steve whispered to the floor. He rested his cheek against the slivered wood, and slipped into a place between cognizance and sleep, floating in between like a feather on a breeze, like a ship on the sea.

 

…

 

By the time Max had time to come down and see their royal captive, after the sun had just tipped back down past the horizon, Steve was not doing well at all.

She unlocked the door onto a sight and smell that would have haunted her had she not seen almost every single situation under sun during her long stay on the Compeer.

Max saw his royal highness in the middle of the floor, lying in a shivering heap, his shirt discarded. Her eyes skirted from the form on the ground to the bucket that was overflowing with vomit sitting in the corner of the room. At some point -- Max didn’t want to think when -- it had tipped over, spilling its contents over the small room. The small room was hotter than even the Galley when dinner was being cooked, and created a cocktail of the smell of vomit and sweat whose pungency made Max gag.

“Prince Steve?” She called out hesitantly. She hoped he was still alive. When Billy had said  _You know where to take him_ , a code for the 'Broom Closet' as they had come to call it, Max had been prepared for the worst, as usual.

No response.

She crossed the border of the room and toed at his quivering side, and he whimpered hoarsely, like his throat was grating against sandpaper. 

Max was conflicted: On one hand, she had to follow orders. But on the other? The Prince of the Northeasternlands, one of the more powerful kingdoms of the realm, if kept alive, would probably bring a heftier sum rather than if he was dead, since he was the sole heir. 

She made a decision. Billy would thank her later. 

Max ran back up to the main deck, finding the highness’ curly haired page mopping the decks with an annoyingly perky grin on his face as he did so.

“Come with me.” She said.

Dustin thought to ask what was wrong, but he saw the look on her face, and decided that questions could wait for later.

Max watched as Dustin’s face morphed from concern to horror as he knelt down next to Steve and placed a hand on the prince’s forehead.

“What did you do to him?!” Dustin looked back over his shoulder at Max, who was at a loss for words. She tried as best she could to rectify the situation, which was by ignoring the question altogether.

“He’s got heat stroke. I need your help to get him up to the main deck, he’s too heavy for just me alone.”

Max approached the two, breathing through her mouth, and grabbed a shoulder. Dustin mechanically grabbed the other.

“Steve,” Dustin whispered, “I need your help, big guy. Can you use your legs?”

The two got Steve up on his feet with great difficulty and the three proceeded to stumble out into the corridor. And right into Billy.

Billy had seen Max sprint across the deck to the page, and knew she was going to make trouble. Fuck, she always made trouble.

“Hold up, what the _fuck_ do you think you're doing with the princess?” Billy asked when he saw the trio of a corpse-like prince and the page and his young sister.

“Well Billy,” Max started, “The prince is sick, and I figured that he'd be worth more to us alive than dead. So, get the fuck out of our way so that he doesn't fucking die.”

Billy considered his sister's words. And fuck, if she wasn't right. Billy hated when she was right.

He noticed how the two were struggling to keep the barely-lucid man upright, and decided to take things into his own hands.

“Here, let me.”

Billy scooped up Steve and hung him over his shoulder, which made Steve moan in protest.

“Yeah, yeah, shut the fuck up.” Billy gritted his teeth against the dead weight. The prince was a lot lighter than he’d expected “God, you smell like a fucking dead fish.”

“That’s because he threw up on himself, Billy. Multiple times.” Max chided, but followed when Billy swung himself around and headed down the corridor to the main deck.

The four of them climbed up the stairs and all took a deep breath after emerging from the stench of the underbelly of the Compeer.

‘Wait,” Dustin said. Billy didn’t stop walking, but turned his head slightly in his direction. “He’s not sweating.”

“It's cause he has fucking heatstroke, you moron.” Max replied, her chin set and a determined look in her eyes.

“Curly,” Billy said, “Get your bucket.”

Billy watched out of the corner of his eye as the curly haired boy ran across the deck, and turned to set Steve down not too kindly, Max helping him place the prince across the balustrade.

“Here.” A bucket was stuck under Billy’s nose, and Billy took it and gave it to Max, who took hold of the rope attached to the handle, and threw it overboard.

She hauled it back up, and was making to throw the water over Steve’s prone body when Dustin interrupted.

“Wait, are you sure you should do that?”

Max rolled her eyes and dumped the cold water over Steve, who jolted and gasped weakly.

“F-fuck!” Steve swore, “What the fuck?!”

“Sorry, princess,” Billy said mockingly, staring down at the pathetic heap of royalty at his feet, “We gotta do what we gotta do to keep you alive.”

Max threw another bucket of seawater over his head, and promptly sat down in front of Steve, legs crossed. Dustin followed suit, three sets of eyes keen on Steve’s face.

“His name is Steve, Blackguard. But you should call him Prince Steve, because he’s the _prince_.”

“Then why do _you_ get to call him just Steve? Because you’re his _friend_?” Max replied, flicking her hair out of her face angrily.

“It’s-” Dustin started.

“M’not a princess,” Steve moaned, squinting up at Blackguard’s figure, and seeing a stony face staring back down at him.

Billy scoffed, “Sure y’aren’t, just like you’re not shivering pathetically and covered in your own fucking sick. Look at you. You're pitiful.”

Steve groaned, grimacing slightly as he regarded Billy. “If you want money, you should try not to kill me. ‘m worth more alive than dead.” _Hopefully_ , Steve thought. Hopefully he was worth more alive than he was dead. His throat felt as dry as sandpaper, but he was cooling down in the evening breeze.

Billy worked his jaw, and crossed his arms. Steve didn’t dare say anything more, lest his voice fail him. It seemed like everything hinged on what Billy would say next.

“When he’s ready, get him some food and find some clothes for him.” Billy turned to walk away. “And put him in a different room. Let’s not have a repeat of today. Put him with Tommy.”

“I’m not his servant, dumbass.” Max replied, but didn’t budge.

“Yeah, but _he_ is.” Billy nodded his head to Dustin, and sauntered away to the other end of the deck.

Max paused, and Steve revelled in the soft breeze that cooled his skin. “You heard him.” She said.

Steve huffed out a laugh as he watched Dustin look at Max first with incredulity, then with resignment.

“Water,” He called out to Dustin’s retreating form, “Please.” He whispered, then coughed.

Max sat down beside him, and they watched the rest of the glow of the sun leave the sky in silence, waiting for Dustin to return.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Steve! I have had heat stroke before, and it is definitely awful. I empathize with the poor bugger.


	3. Riptide

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “You don’t have to apologize for him, really. No,” He raised a hand to stop Max from interrupting, “If Billy is better than he’s shown himself to be, like you say, let him prove himself rather than apologizing for him.”

Riptide

 

Dustin soon returned with a canteen of water for Steve and handed it over, plopping down next to Steve and Max, leaning against the balustrade. 

“Thanks, Dustin.” Steve rasped out and twisted the top off the canteen, drinking heavily before wiping his lips. 

The trio sat in silence watching the last rays of the sun head over the horizon. One by one, stars winked to life above the Compeer, and the constellations started to form over their heads. The galaxies came next, lighting the night sky with their illuminating glow, curiously twinkling down onto the ocean, all watching the Compeer with interest. 

Steve shivered as the wind whispered through his hair and closed his eyes to revel in the cool air wicking away the water on his chest. 

“He’s not so bad, you know. Billy.” Max murmured into the night.

Dustin scoffed, but stayed silent.

“No, really. He can be…”

“Horrific, heinous, vile?” Dustin prompted.

“No! Well, maybe heinous.”

Steve snorted. 

“ _ But _ ,” Max added, “He…” she sighed and rubbed her hands on her legs, “He’s good. Sometimes he makes mistakes, like putting a prince in the worst part of the ship, but he makes up for them.”

“Max.” Steve said, “He’s the most powerful pirate sailing the sea. I wouldn’t expect anything less than what he’s already showed us he can be.” 

“No! You’re not listening!” Max stood up and faced them, her face pale in the starlight. “He  _ saved my life _ . I’m not - I can’t… I can’t let you go without knowing that I have made it clear to the two of you that he can - and is - better than he’s shown himself to be.” Max shoved her hair behind her ears forcefully before continuing. “He’s not perfect, but give him a chance to prove himself otherwise, okay?”

Steve sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “You don’t have to apologize for him, really. No,” He raised a hand to stop Max from interrupting, “If Billy is better than he’s shown himself to be, like you say, let him prove himself rather than apologizing for him.”

Max’s shoulders sank in relief. 

“Really Steve?! He made you like, super sick! You’re just gonna forgive him, just like that!?” Dustin snapped his fingers in front of Steve’s face, which Steve pushed away, frowning at his page.

“I never said I was going to forgive him, I’m just giving him a chance to… I’m just giving him a  _ chance _ .”

Max sighed in relief, and nodded, rubbing her hands against her pants once more. “Here,” she stuck out her hand to help Steve up. “You cold enough to have something to eat?”

Steve took her hand, calloused from ship life, and got to his feet. It was a little dizzying to be standing so quickly, but it soon faded with Steve’s anticipation at eating.

Dustin was a little reluctant to join them, but one look from Steve silenced any objections he might have voiced. 

“Don’t mind the crew, they’ve never seen royalty before. They’ll be weird.”

Steve shrugged. “Okay.”  _ How weird could they be? _

They made their way down to the galley, where Steve and Dustin were met with glares from the crew. 

Max sat them down at a table and disappeared. A voice interrupted Steve's thoughts. 

“You’re the prince, right?” A teen from down the table was looking interestedly at Dustin and Steve. He must have been at least Dustin’s age, maybe a bit older. 

“Yeah, I guess I am.” Steve sighed, tapping his knee.  He never liked attention on himself, even less so when it was the glowering looks of all of Billy’s crew.  

The guy moved to sit across from Steve and Dustin. “Well, let me introduce you to some of the party,” the kid said. “I’m Lucas, that over there in the kitchen is Will, and sitting over there in the corner are Mike and El.” 

The kid called Will was stirring a big metal pot, frowning down at the contents. The other two, Mike and El, were deep in conversation, as thick as thieves.

“Oh, and don’t try to separate them, it never works out well.” Lucas added.

A large group of other people were sitting in the far corner of the galley, huddled together around one of the tables. 

“Who are those people over there?” Steve asked, nodding his head over to the other table.

“Oh,” Lucas sank in his seat, not daring to turn around. “That’s Billy’s original crew.” 

Steve gave him a quizzical look. 

“You should ask Billy about it, it’s not my story to tell.” Lucas replied.

Just then Steve felt something soft land on his head. He pulled off what appeared to be a tunic, clean, and in good shape. The cloth was rough against his smooth fingers, but Steve decided he didn’t mind. 

“Put it on.” Max said not unkindly.

“Thanks.” he said, pulling the tunic down over his head and chest. 

Max went to get a tray of bowls full of what looked like beans, and large mugs of beer. She gave Lucas a kiss on his cheek when she came back and handed out the bowls to the small group. Mike turned to give El her bowl, who flashed a quick smile at Max, and noticed Steve. He smiled hesitantly at her, and she smiled back at him and returned her attention to Mike. There was something about her that wasn’t quite human, Steve decided. Maybe it was the way her dark eyes glittered in the light of the galley, or maybe it was the colour of her skin — curiously pale for being at sea, but Steve pushed the thought to the back of his mind.

“So,” Dustin asked, mouth full of beans, “How long have you two been on Billy Blackguard’s crew?”

Lucas responded first. “Just over a year, Mike has been on here for two years, and Max?” He turned to face her, resting his elbows on the table.

“I’ve been on here the longest.” Max was playing with her food, smile on her face. 

“See,” Lucas said, holding his spoon out in front of him. Steve was careful not to let it get too close. “I don’t think that really counts. Max is Billy’s sister.” he continued, “So  _ obviously _ Max would be first on the crew.”

“You’re Blackguard’s sister!?” Dustin gaped at the pair across the table. 

Max frowned. “What, like it’s such a stretch to imagine that Billy Blackguard is human?” 

Steve snorted, chewing slowly on his beans. He wondered what it must have been like to have a sibling. 

He had grown up to be the sole heir of the Northeasternland throne, and it had been a lonely existence. Steve had often been jealous of the courtier’s sons and daughters, not just because they got to play more than he did, but because they had siblings. 

Steve remembered long nights where he just wished for someone to understand the pressures of learning how to rule a country, maybe someone to take so much stress off his shoulders. 

“It must be nice,” the Prince ruminated, “To have a sibling.” He added, after seeing the look of confusion on Max’s face. 

Max sighed, and considered the question while picking up a spoonful of beans. “Well, we have an understanding, Billy and I.” She smiled broadly, like she was remembering some hilarious moment that had occurred between her and the young pirate. 

“What’s that?” Steve asked. 

“I call him on his bullshit, he calls me on mine. Which is why I was able to get you out of that stupid Broom Closet.” 

“Thanks, by the way, for that.” Steve lifted his mug in salute to the fiery redhead. 

“I’ll drink to that.” Dustin laughed, and Lucas smiled. 

They brought their mugs to clink together, and brought them back to drink. 

“Ugh!” Dustin groaned. 

Steve had to agree; the beer was  _ sour _ . So sour, it was hard to swallow. He pulled a face at the taste.

Max, Lucas, Mike, and El, who turned at the commotion, all laughed at the pair’s reaction. 

“It’s just lime, relax! It’s so you don’t get sick.” Lucas chided. 

“I’m gonna be sick if you make me drink this!” Dustin moaned. 

Steve laughed, and sipped at his beer. “I dunno Dustin, it’s not so bad.”

“Are you crazy?!” Dustin yelled. 

“You get used to it, trust me. You’re Dustin?” Lucas asked, effectively changing the subject.

“Yeah.” Dustin replied. 

“Great! You’re bunking with me, hopefully that’s cool with you?”

Dustin deflated. “Sure.”

Steve laughed. 

“What?” Dustin asked.

“Well you don’t have to look so  _ sad _ about it!” Steve said. Max and Lucas laughed. 

Dustin smiled and scratched at his head. “It’s… fine. We’re cool.” He nodded to Lucas, who nodded back. 

They talked about life on the ship, and Max and Lucas filled them in on the daily shifts.

Steve listened to the conversation for a while, but his mind floated away to the main deck with its cool winds and darkness. The base of his skull was throbbing a little, and Steve wished he could relieve the pressure. He thought about jumping into the ocean and swimming away with the mermaids. 

Of course, Steve couldn’t swim. There had been an incident with a daughter of a courtier, drowning in the pond near the castle. His parents, being the protective kind, had never let him near the swimming hole again. Steve wondered if they were scared of his safety as parents, or only as rulers. Losing an heir would mean giving up the throne. Were his parents that greedy? He didn’t want to know.

At any rate, Steve was in real deep shit. 

Being on a pirate ship in the middle of an ocean with no idea of how to swim was not, in Steve’s opinion, conducive to surviving. 

“Steve!” Dustin snapped his fingers in front of Steve’s face, which was getting increasingly annoying. “You’re spacing out on me, buddy.” 

“Yeah, how are you feeling, your highness?” Max asked. 

“I have a headache, but that’s fine, I’m fine.” Steve replied, rubbing his eyes. “And call me Steve. None of that prince stuff.”

“You don’t like your title?” Lucas asked. 

“Never has, never will.” Dustin replied for Steve. 

“Makes me sound pompous.” Steve agreed. 

Max hummed in agreement. “So, what  _ do _ you want to be called?” She asked. 

“Just Steve.” 

“Nice to meet you, Just Steve.” 

They were lulled back into silence, nursing their beers. 

“Hey Max,” Steve said. 

“What, Steve?” 

“Does everybody around here call Billy Blackguard just… Billy?”

“Yeah, why?” Max asked brusquely, picking up a spoon and dipping it into her beans.

“It’s just, Blackguard’s the most nefarious pirate alive, shouldn’t he, you know…”

“Stick to the image?”

“Yeah.” 

“Well, we got a crew policy: we each get our own names, and everybody calls everybody else their chosen name.”

“Except for swear words, obviously.” Lucas piped up. 

“What about me? Billy calls me ‘Princess’ all the time. It’s so stupid.”

“It’s a  _ crew _ policy. You’re being held captive, you’re not part of the crew.” Max replied between.

“Right.” Steve sighed. 

“Does that mean I’m part of the crew?” Dustin asked, excited. He had never been part of a ship crew before, he’d just been a page until now. 

“No.” Max said, and added after she saw Dustin’s disappointed face, “Not yet. Trial period. Give it time, and then maybe.” 

Max looked down at all of their bowls and found them empty. “Time for lights out. Lucas,” She turned to face the boy, “You can take Dustin to your dorm room, and I can introduce Steve to Tommy. Sounds like a plan?” 

“Sure,” Dustin nodded. He and Lucas walked off to return all of their bowls to the kitchen, and Steve stood and stretched.  _ What a day. What a fucking day _ . 

“Come on.” Max ordered. 

The lady was authoritative, and Steve assumed her position was Quartermaster, if her spirited nature and his, admittedly lacking, knowledge of ship management were to be trusted. 

Max led him over to the other group, who didn’t turn to acknowledge the two until Max barked at them. 

“Tommy!” She shouted. A freckled man with a scar down the side of his face and hair like a hedgehog turned around and glared at Max. 

“What do you want?” 

“This is Steve.”

Tommy gave Steve a once over. “Yeah, so?”

“He’s bunking with you.”

Tommy groaned in objection. “Can’t he bunk with someone else? Take the Broom Closet again?”

“Billy’s orders were explicit.” Max huffed and folded her arms in front of her. “ _ Explicit _ !” She yelled when Tommy objected again. 

“ _ Fine. _ ” Tommy muttered through clenched teeth. 

He got up heavily from the table and kissed a different redheaded lady on the cheek.

Max clapped her hands twice, loudly, and shouted, “Alright everybody, lights out in five. Time to go. Night shift, you’re on duty as of right now.” 

“Come on.” Tommy sneered at the prince, shoving into Steve’s shoulder as he walked past. 

Steve followed mutely behind him. 

The walk led them down the hall, and down another flight of stairs, the air becoming more stale with each step. 

It was silent save for their footsteps and small jeers from others on the crew. Thankfully, Billy was nowhere in sight. Tommy reached the door and shoved it open, flumping heavily on his cot bolted to the wall. The other cot had no sheets, no nothing, and Steve stood in the middle of the room not knowing what to do. He  _ hated _ not knowing what to do,  _ hated _ feeling useless. 

“Go get some fucking sheets! Jesus!” 

“Where do I get sheets from?” Steve asked. 

“I don’t fucking know! Go ask Max!” Tommy whined. Steve needed no other reason to leave the room. 

He tried to shake the anxiety from his mind, but it was hard work. He wandered the empty halls until he heard a commotion behind one of the doors and stopped short of the door in case someone opened it. 

He heard muffled yelling inside, but it was clear enough to hear from the other side of the thick wood door. He knew that yell anywhere, had heard before in the galley. 

Of course, Steve was an eavesdropper. He’d had to be, if he’d wanted to listen in on his parent’s conversations. 

It wasn’t in his style to cup an ear against the wall, but he leaned casually against the wall to not appear suspicious. 

“- bullshit! You told me-”

“I told you what, Max? What did I tell you?” Billy yelled. His voice was thunderous and boomed through the door. 

“Why did you bring him aboard?!” 

“He’s the prince!” 

Steve froze in place. He couldn’t leave if he tried.

“What a bullshit answer! Tell me, was it heat of the moment, or did you actually think this through? Because when you put him in the Broom Closet, it sure seems like you  _ didn’t _ !” 

“He made it pretty clear that he would be worth a good ransom. Ransom equals money! Money equals wealth! Fuck Max, I didn’t think I’d really have to spell it out for you like this!”

“Thank you, Billy! Thank you for clearing that up for me, if that wasn’t evident enough for me, it’s crystal fucking clear now! You know who it’s not crystal fucking clear to?”

Billy paused. “Who?” 

“The crew! I’ve been dealing with complaints all day about how we’re ‘babysitting royalty’. Billy,”

“What?! Fucking what, Max?!”

“We haven’t raided in over a week, we’ve been looking for royal ships to take down for revenge, which I get, trust me, and when we  _ do _ find one, you decide to take the prince hostage! We barely have any supplies left! We  _ needed _ that money!” 

“We’re gonna get that fucking money, Max!”

“We’re gonna starve first, Billy! That money is  _ long _ overdue. And you decide to waste it all on some pretty rich kid?! This is  _ just _ like you, Billy!”

It got quiet all of a sudden, and Steve strained to hear any sounds coming from the room. 

“What did you say to me?” Billy’s voice was dangerously low. 

“Billy. I’m your sister. I call you out on your bullshit. You have the same patterns, no matter the person. You can’t control your impulses, so you just decide all of a sudden that they’re yours and you take them, play with them, and then get bored of them.”

“Max.”

“No, Billy! I know you too well. I know you have ulterior motives besides ransom money.”

“Max.”

“He’s handsome. Tall. Big doe eyes. It’s textbook at this point!”

“Max, you don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about.”

“I need answers. That’s all I need.”

Another silence. 

“Tell them that once this whole thing with the prince is over, I’ll give them a bonus.”

“How much?”

“Depends on how much the prince is worth.” 

Max scoffed. “He’s not a slave, Billy.” 

“Maybe not. Doesn’t mean he’s not worth anything.” 

“Billy…” Max paused. “Don’t… hurt him. He’s a prince. They’ll kill you.” 

“I won’t.” Billy said. It sounded almost reverent, and it thrummed through Steve’s body, sent shivers down his spine.

Billy’s voice made Steve trust that he wouldn’t be put in harm’s way. Unless that’s what Steve wanted. 

Steve heard footsteps towards the door, and almost forgot to act casual as the door swung open, and Max appeared with a stormy look on her face. 

She shut the door, and turned down the hallway away from Steve. He forgot how his voice worked for a moment, but managed to follow her and squeak out a word or two. 

“Max!” his voice cracked, and Steve cringed internally, but managed to keep a straight face. 

“Oh, hi!” Max said, “Looking for bed sheets?” 

Steve swallowed thickly and nodded, but it seemed like Max hadn’t noticed, thankfully. 

“Come on, we’ll find some for you.” 

Steve followed her down the hall, his heartbeat still ringing in his ears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel sorry for Max, having to deal with babies all day. It must get irritating.
> 
> Sorry, this took a long time! I had writers block, but thanks to the Harringrove Trash Cans I got through it!! Special kudos to those guys for watching me write WHILE I'm writing and actually enjoying it!
> 
> I know where I want to go with this story now, I have it mostly planned out! I'm very excited to keep writing!
> 
> I made a side tumblr for harringrove, you can find me at batintheback.tumblr.com for fic updates and hcs and other posts about our boys!
> 
> see you next chapter!

**Author's Note:**

> General Notes on names and things  
> Blackguard - I chose Blackguard because it means "a person, particularly a man, who behaves in a dishonorable or contemptible way." Which seems pretty Billy. Also, it sounds cool.  
> Blackguard's brig, the Compeer - I chose Compeer because Camaro means "Friend, pal, comrade" in French. I looked up a synonym, and Compeer was right there.  
> Northeasternlands - The Kingdom of Indiana sound a little silly, I wanted it to be adventurous, and silly in other ways.  
> I want to say thank you with all my heart to the Harringrove Trash Cans chat! If it weren't for all your help, I don't think I could have made this!!


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